though Death Cab and Shins are by choice (as the one or two tracks I've heard from them don't inspire me to seek out more). Never heard Hefner at all (are they pretty large?).

My shock-horror answer, though, is Weezer. Sure I know a couple of songs (El Scorcho, something about Pork and Beans, and another song I can hum but can't recall the title) and I know they've got albums called Purple and Yellow or whatnot, but I've never been arsed to check 'em out good and proper.

So far away from the glam pish they've been producing lately.
The B sides are really different and interesting, worth looking out for - Host, Recess, Shine Acoustic.
Yep, start with Origin of Symmetry and Showbiz. Absolution has got some crackers too, e.g. Stockholm Syndrome.

I've listened to a couple of songs of each of the above I reckon, but can't remember any of them really. I know very little/nothing about them aside from that. The Shins are excellent - Oh, Inverted World is one of my favourite albums of the decade, and they haven't got a song I don't enjoy.

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco and Hissing Fauna Are You the Destroyer? by of Montreal would be the best albums from the above artists, in my opinion anyway. of Montreal stands out to me out of all the bands mentioned in this thread. They are just really different from the others - and better.

3 massive American bands, still around and dominating the "college rock"/alternative scene over there, and then lo-fi indie Hefner who were never that well known even at the beginning of the decade.
I might go check out a Darren Hayman solo album now that you've reminded me of them, any Hefner fans know the best place to start?

The Breeders, Mogwai and Low are the next three that spring to mind, although there must be so many, I'm so bad at investigating older stuff. Recently I got round to listening to a Wilco album and was glad that I did.

For Death Cab, Shins, Modest Mouse and I'll also say Weezer. It's mainly because I don't like what I've heard (I've tried to listen to a couple of tracks off of each of their albums), and I've no inclination to hear them again.

I've also seen the Shins live, for my sins and they were godawful.

I'm going to add Guided By Voices and The Fall to the list too. I LOVE what I've heard, but I'm just so daunted by the hugeness of their back catalogues that I run away and hide in the corner.

some bands that are hailed as brilliant or whatever but you never caught onto at the time, they've got too many records that makes you just decide it'd take too much work getting to know them, especially when there's new albums coming out all the time and you've only got so many hours in the day.

Weezer
Temper Trap
(errr, not indie, but) Kasabian & Kaiser Chiefs (I perpetually get these two the wrong way round, because I'm a complete knob)
The Smiths (yeah, I know)
Phoenix (though I'm listening to it now)

They may have massive back catalogues but their records sound pretty similar. Basically, buy 'This Nation's Saving Grace' and 'Bee Thousand' respectively. If you don't like those albums, you won't like any of the other ones.